Adventure: August

Road trip to Utah! This is my third trip up this year. My record is from when I was living there; I think I made the trip 6 times in 6 months. I'd thought it would just be a quick trip, and I'd be in Utah for like 48 hours before I'd have to head home, but things are looking up and I have a few extra hours. This is the plan: Drive up to Vegas after class gets out at 7pm Thursday 26 August 2009; drive to Provo area Friday and meet up with my BFF who I'll be staying with; attend a friend's wedding reception on Saturday night; start the drive home on Monday; maybe stay in Vegas that night; be in So Cal for class at noon on Tuesday...interesting.

Update:
We stayed pretty close to the plan...went up Thurs. night, ate breakfast with a friend at The Original Pancake House Friday morning, and then drove the rest of the way up to UT. It was pretty late at night when we got there, so I just chit chatted with my friend, and then we went to bed. The next day we waited for her parents to come up and sent the boys off while my friend, her mom and I had girl-time. What else would we do if not go shopping? :-) I was a really nice relaxing time with my second family. I have a great family, don't get me wrong there. But I've also been unofficially adopted into their family. This is the friend I got into trouble with in High School. The friend who was just across the border when I was in Brazil. The friend I lived in UT with--and while there I spent a lot of time with her family. I love them all! And because it's about my birthday, I got presents!
After the bonding time, we met up for dinner at a Mexican food restaurant--and pretty good food, for UT.
After that the two of us went to the reason for the trip: Sarah's wedding reception! I was even able to see a few friends I didn't realize would be there. :-) That was fun. And I got to support my friend, and see my cousin, and eat goodies, and joke a little. It was fun. I miss having you in CA Sarah, but I'm glad you are happy! ...And I'm always up there anyway--haha!
Sunday I crashed a Singles ward, and then visited some more.
Monday it was time to head home again, but it was a leisurely drive because I didn't have plans to meet my Vegas friends till dinner, then we all wondered the neighboring Bass Pro Shop.
Then in the morning I had to rush back to CA in order to get to my class on time.

PS I'm bad at taking pictures on vacations...

Delighted Embarrassment

Most of you know that my sister married a Samoan, so their kids are dark. Well, most of them. My niece is pretty much 100% white. But she is adorable! I can tell she has a little bit of Samoa in her though, but she is a great hula dancer! When we ask her to practice her dance at home she throws a little fit and pretends to be shy. She loves the attention to be on her, and is very brave when on stage. This is me and my nephew at my niece's first dance show:



It was so fun!!!

Changing

What do you do when someone you trust tells you to change? Should I accept it because it's someone I trust and therefore is probably for my best? Or do I stick to my own ideas? Because it is a change that will change who I am...and I don't think I'm okay with that. I was told last week that I am too generous and kind. And I'm at a loss as to how that's a bad thing. Why do I have to stop that? Is it because it makes me too easy to love? Too hard to be mean to? To be honest, I think I'm kinda selfish and self-involved, but that's besides the point. Who are you to say I need to change? You, who can't say no? You, who is so angry at the world you can't see any color but red.
It's hard to imagine a life without you in it...but I'm not sure I can talk to you. I'm not sure how to act around you anymore. I'm not sure where the boundaries should be, and I'm never going to be okay with what you are doing. As Kate Hudson's character in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andie, said "I love you Binky...but I don't have to like you right now." Well, I love you (fill in name here), but I don't have to like you right now. I don't feel appreciated. I don't feel important. So I'm not going to feel bad for ignoring you for a few days...I mean, I will, and it will break my heart every time, but...I don't know what else to do...
And the sad thing is that you probably won't even notice.